Click here for previous installments of Spring Cleaning & Spring Eating.
I was on Facebook yesterday and a friend had posted a photo of their egg white, spinach and quinoa muffins and the caption below read “cooling my quinoa-spinach breakfast muffins – yum”. Yum? Really? I am sure these muffins are edible but I would not be the person who would crave such a snack. I understand that we are all trying to find ways to cut out fat and make it easier to eat healthy on the go (and I am all for nutritious foods on the go) but sometimes it is just as important to take the time to prepare a delicious meal with wholesome ingredients and sit down to enjoy it. This is why I wanted to do this series of recipes: to show you that it is ok to eat real food and that you do not have to try and pretend something like egg white, spinach, quinoa muffins taste amazing.
In regards to eliminating “crap” from your diet, one thing I tell my clients is that by simply adding more healthy, wholesome foods, room for the crap is eliminated and without even knowing your diet improves. While shopping you should try staying to the perimeter of the grocery store where all the fresh foods are. By doing this you will prevent the pesky bad foods from making it home into your pantry. Trust me, when you start cooking flavourful, delicious meals you will not even miss the “garbage”.
One of the things I talked about last week was the importance of eating foods while they are in season, as well as shopping organic (for produce and proteins), local and frequently to ensure your ingredients are as fresh as possible. Last week fennel was introduced (click here for a refresher) and this week’s focus will be halibut. As halibut is currently in season, now is the perfect time to take advantage of this low fat, high protein, light white fish.
Here are the items that you are going to need to pick up at the grocery store:
1 head of purple cabbage
1 head of cauliflower
3-4 large carrots
2 avocados
1 lemon
5 limes
Cilantro (1 bunch)
1 head of garlic
1 red onion
1 small bunch of asparagus or green beans
2 pieces of halibut per person (filets are best and skin on is preferred)
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 package of small flower tortillas
Butter (if you do not already have it)
Mayo (if you do not already have it)
Vegetable Oil (if you do not already have it)
Here is what you will take from your pantry:
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chilli flakes
Chicken stock
Dijon Mustard
Sugar (which hopefully everyone has in their pantry)
I am once again working with my great friend, and amazing Chef Arimo Evans to create these meals (as I am useless when it comes to being creative in the kitchen). Click here for the recipes.
The first night you will make pan seared halibut served on a bed of pureed cauliflower and garbanzo beans, asparagus with a side of coleslaw. (Pureed cauliflower is a great substitute for potatoes and rice.)
The next night you will use very similar ingredients to create a delicious halibut fish taco topped with homemade pickled onion and cabbage (very easy to make) and fresh avocado. We will serve the coleslaw on the side again so when you make it keep half of the coleslaw (with half of the dressing in a separate container) in the fridge, tossing it together just before you serve it.
